Switch for signal means indicating contemplated turns



L. BONHAM 2,096,162

EMPLATED TURNS Aug 17, 1937.

SWITCH FOR SIGNAL MEANS INDICATING CONT Filed Dec. 13, 1929 jnucufo'a (1 mg; M M,

Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH FOR SIGNAL MEANS INDICATING CONTEMPLATED TURNS 2 Claims.

This invention relates to indicators of the kind used on an automobile, whereby the driver can exhibit a signal visible to a driver in the rear, indicating that a turn to the right or left is contemplated, and particularly to a novel electric circuit switch means for use in the electric system of such an indicator.

An important object of my invention is to automatically discontinue the signal as the steering wheel is returned to its normal position after the turn has been made, and, in case the driver has set a signal indicating that he contemplates turning in a direction contrary to that in which he actually turns, to automatically discontinue the incorrect signal as the steering wheel is rotated to make the contrary turn.

I shall now describe my invention in detail, with the assistance of the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my switch mechanism carried by the steering wheel and steering post, as seen were the observer looking at it through the wind shield. In this view part of the frame is broken away to reveal the interior parts;

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism seen in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that my switch means is mounted in a frame composed of insulating material, including a base 50, a front wall 5! and rear wall 52. A sheet metal strip 53, the ends of which are secured to the ends of the base with screws, lying on the edges of the walls 5| and 52, complete a housing for the switching mechanism. The housing is mounted on the hub of the steering wheel with a clamp 54, so when the wheel rotates one way or the other the housing moves with it. Preferably the housing is placed on the front of the hub, that is, so the hub is between the housing and the driver.

Journaled in the walls 5| and 52 is a shaft 55, carrying a member 56, which, for lack of a better name, I shall call a rocker. The rocker is tight on the shaft so when the shaft is rocked the rocker will move with it. In form the rocker is cylindrical, its axis coinciding with the axis of the shaft, but at the top and bottom sections are cut away to form large flat surfaces 51 and 58, and I shall call the remaining cylindrical parts the ends of the rocker. Two fiat strips, 59 and 60, composed of resilient metal, are secured side by side to one end of the base 50, which strips or springs extend upward so their free ends bear with some tension against one end of the rocker. The end of the rocker is grooved and the ends of the strips are bent to a form complementary to the groove. The bent ends of the springs lie in the groove. At the other end of the base two similar strips, SI and 62, bear against the end of the rocker in the same way, their bent ends lying in a similar groove in the rocker. The strip 62 is not seen in Figs. 1 and 2, but it appears in Fig. 3 in diagrammatic form. It is obvious that when the shaft is rotated slightly the ends of the springs are cammed out of the grooves, and when the rocker is returned to nearly its normal or central position, the springs, cooperating with the grooves, tend to centralize the rocker, and they also tend to hold the rocker in its central position.

The rocker is composed of insulating material and the pairs of springs are therefore not electrically connected. For the purpose of connecting one pair or the other I inlay strips of metal, 63 and 64, in the rocker above the grooves, so that when the rocker is rocked in either direction one of these strips is brought under the ends of two springs, thereby connecting the springs electrically. Springs 59 and 62 are connected by wires to a battery or other source of electrical energy. Spring 66 is connected by a wire to one end of the winding of solenoid 32, the other end of the winding being connected to the frame of the automobile, which will be hereinafter referred to as the ground. Spring 6! is connected by a wire to one end of the winding of solenoid 31, the other end of the solenoid winding being grounded. The terminal of the battery not connected to the springs 59 and 62 is grounded. For the purpose of rocking the rocker I provide an arm 65, mounted on one end of the shaft 55, which arm extends upward to a point close to the central spoke 35 of the steering wheel. The upper end of the arm. is spread out and carries two lugs, 616'l, one on each side of the spoke. These lugs are far enough apart to allow the arm to rock each way as far as is necessary to close one of the solenoid circuits, movement of the arm in each direction being limited by a lug 61 impinging on the spoke 66. Thus if the driver contemplates turning to the right he rocks the arm to the right, to energize solenoid 32, thereby rotating the arrow to the right. If he contemplates a left turn he rocks the arm to the left, energizing the solenoid 3! and causing the arrow to point to the left. The arm 65, as shown, is adjustable in length. This enables the same parts to be used on wheels of difierent types, but if desired adjustability may be omitted.

I shall now describe the mechanism for centralizing the rocker. J ournaled in the side members 5i and 52 is a shaft IE parallel to and ver- 5 tically below shaft 55. On this shaft is secured a pawl, comprising two arms, 12 and 13, extending horizontally in opposite directions. Secured to the same shaft is a vertically extending arm M, which I shall call a pendant. If the rocker has been rocked to the right, as it is seen. in Fig. 1, moving the pendant to the right will cause the arm 13 to impinge on the right hand end of the fiat 58 and rock the rocker toward its central position, opening the circuit which energizes the 15 solenoid 3 I. If the rocker has been moved to the left, as seen in Fig. 1, moving the pendant to the left will centralize the rocker. On the steering post 15, that is the stationary tube in which the steering rod 16 rotates, I clamp a band 11, which band carries two radially extending studs, 18 and 19. When the steering wheel is in its normal position, that is the position for driving straight ahead, the pendant hangs between the studs 18 and 19, but the studs are in the path of the pendant as it moves to the right or left in making a turn, and in wiping across a stud the pondant rocks the pawl far enough to centralize the rocker.

Assuming now that the arm 65 has been moved to the drivers right preparatory to making a right turn. As seen in Fig. l the arm would then be leaning toward the left, and the left hand end of the rocker would be the lower. Rotating the steering wheel to the right to make the turn 35 would cause the pendant M to wipe across the stud l8, and rock the arm 13 downward. It would therefore not move the rocker, but upon rotating the wheel back to its normal position after completing the turn the pendant would wipe across the stud 18 in the opposite direction, causing the arm 13 of the pawl to rise and in doing so the arm would lift the low end of the rocker, thereby centralizing the rocker and the arm 65. Thus the indication that a right hand turn is contem- 45 plated would remain visible until the turn had been effected. If, however, the driver changed his mind after setting the signal for a right hand turn, or if for any reason he turned to theleft instead of the right, after setting the signal for 50 a right turn, the pendant would wipe the stud 19 instead of stud It .as the wheel is rotated to make the left turn, causing the arm 13 to rise under the low end of the rocker and centralize the rocker at once. In other words, as the steer- 55 ing wheel is rotated to make a turn contrary to the import of the given signal, the signal is immediately thrown off. Obviously, the reverse action takes place in case the arm 65 is moved to the left preparatory to making a left turn. The 60 studs 78 and 19 are far enough apart to allow sufiicient movement of the wheel for straightahead driving without the pendant wiping the studs. The pawl 12-13 is normally maintained in a horizontal position by springs 86, although 0 these might be dispensed with and gravity, acting on the pendant, depended upon for this purpose.

Referring now to Fig. 3 it will be seen that a b wire runs from button 8'! to one terminal of lamp 4!, and another wire runs from button 88 to one terminal of lamp 48. Spring 85 is connected by a wire to the wire which runs from the spring 60, in the steering Wheel switch, to the 75 solenoid 32. A Wire runs from the remaining terminal of lamp ll to one terminal of a lamp 89 situated in the view of the driver, preferably on the instrument board, and from the other terminal of lamp 89 a wire runs to the ground. A wire runs from the remaining terminal of the lamp M3 to one terminal of a lamp 9!) in view of the driver, and from the other terminal of lamp 90 a wire runs to the ground. Now supposing the driver means to make a right turn and has rocked the arm 65 to the right, thereby connecting the circuit springs 80 and 62. The solenoid 32 will be energized, thereby pulling down member 36, which is adapted to operate any suitable indicating device to point to the right and at the same time close the switch 85-431. This will send current through signal lamps M and 89, the lamp M being an illuminated signal at the rear of the car. Lamps 4! and 89 being in series, if lamp 89 lights the driver knows that his rear indicator has operated and that the lamp is burning. He also knows he has moved the arm 65 in the proper direction to indicate a right turn. Obviously, rocking the arm 65 to the left would produce a similar result to that described, but involve switch 86-88 and lamps 40 and 90.

No wiring is shown in the drawing save that shown in Fig. 3. It is to be understood that wires are to be run from and to the various parts in any of the well known ways, by cables, for example.

While I have described What at this time I regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not want to limit myself to the particular details of construction here shown, as modifications thereof are possible without departing from the purpose or spirit of my invention. What I claim as my invention is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an electrical signalling system for automobiles, a switch mounted on the steering wheel, comprising a base, a rocker mounted thereon, arranged to rock on ahorizontal axis and composed of insulating material, two pairs of terminal springs mounted on said base, the free ends thereof bearing against opposite ends of the rocker, a strip of metal inlaid in each end of the rocker, so situated that when the rocker is rocked to one position the adjacent strip connects one pair of terminals, and when rocked to another position the other strip connects the other pair of terminals; a pawl mounted to rock on said base on an axis parallel to that of the rocker and adapted to centralize the rocker when rocked in a direction opposite to that in which the rocker moved to connect a pair of terminals, said pawl having a pendant; a pair of studs fixed on the steering post, between which said pendant hangs when the steering wheel is in or near its normal position, across one or the other of which studs the pendant wipes, thereby rocking the pawl, as the wheel is rotated to make a turn, the pendant re-wiping the stud and rocking the pawl in the opposite direction as the wheel is returned to its normal position.

2. In an electrical signalling system for auto mobiles, a switch mounted on the steering wheel and adapted to selectively close one or the other of two electric circuits, comprising a base, a rocker movably mounted thereon, manual means for rotating said rocker to close one or the other of said electric circuits, a pawl mounted to rock on said base on an axis parallel to that of the rocker and adapted to centralize the rocker when the pawl is rocked in a direction opposite to that studs the pendant wipes, thereby rocking the in which the rocker has been previously moved, pawl, as the wheel is rotated to make a turn, the

said pawl having a pendant, a pair of studs fixed pendant re-wiping the stud and rocking the pawl on the steering post between which said pendant in the opposite direction as the wheel is returned 5 hangs when. the steering wheel is in or near its to its normal position.

normal position, across one or the other of which LLEWELLYN BONHAM. 

